The Reported Influence of Research Participation on Premarital Relationships

We examined the reported influence of participation in research on individuals in premarital relationships. Data were from a larger longitudinal study of 60 dating couples. We designed a questionnaire to evaluate the effects of participation. Responses to open-ended questions revealed 3 major sources of influence: attention to relationship evaluation, effects on relationship activities, and indirect or no influence. Closed-ended items yielded 2 dimensions: relationship-defining influence and relationship-evaluating influence. Relationship-evaluating influence was greater the more respondents participated in the study. The higher were respondents' scores on relationship-evaluating influence, the more their relationship satisfaction increased over the year long study. We conclude that the effects of participating in the research are primarily educational and enriching in nature, rather than therapeutic as suggested in previous research (Rubin & Mitchell, 1976).